It's the middle of December, and the rapid-fire "hot takes" are flying as the 2014 NFL regular season winds down.

Not so fast, folks.

In this edition of the Schein Nine, let's evaluate -- and debunk -- nine popular notions wrongly taking root in the league.

1) The NFL needs to reconsider playoff seeding

Yes, this year's NFC South has been one of the worst divisions since realignment, with the 5-8 Falcons currently "winning" the race for the top spot -- and the home playoff date that comes with it. But the overreaction to this blip drives me nuts.

In the offseason, I wrote a column saying the division would be the most competitive and field four good teams. In the preseason, I predicted the last-place team would win seven games. Nobody batted an eye. All four squads were variously picked by different pundits to win nine or more games.

Divisional rivalries are among the most intense in the NFL. There's a reason all but two of the games on Thursday night this year (the season opener between Seattle and Green Bay and Cowboys-Bears last week) are divisional bouts. Teams draft to beat the others in their division; divisions create the most drama in the league.

Sure, it would be painful to be a player, coach or fan of a 10-win team that misses the posteason while a six- or seven-win squad hosts a playoff game. But, to quote the great Bill Belichick, "It is what it is." The benefits of the current format outweigh the one negative.

Remember 2010, when nobody thought the 7-9 Seahawks could beat the 11-5 Saints in the wild-card round? Well, it happened, and the Seattle upset added to that playoff experience.

It isn't ideal that a bad team will be rewarded with a home game in the playoffs. But it's a fluke. The system works.

3) The Packers' defense was exposed Monday

At halftime, the Packers were up 31-7. The game was over. Green Bay's play-by-play voice, Wayne Larrivee, characterized a first-half touchdown as a "dagger" -- and he wasn't being outlandish. The Packers took their feet off the gas pedal and the Falcons took advantage of the lack of aggressiveness to come back. Forget the final score; this was a blowout.

And if you think Green Bay's defense isn't improved and legit, you missed the Week 13 win over the Patriots. Save the nonsense for someone else.

4) The loser of Cowboys-Eagles will miss the postseason

I think Dallas and Philadelphia will both be playing in the postseason, regardless of what happens in their NFC East showdown Sunday night.

I think Detroit has a greater chance of slipping than the runner-up in the NFC East.

5) Jadeveon Clowney is a bust

This notion makes me crazy -- and it really does the same to Houston Texans coach Bill O'Brien. Appearing last week on my SiriusXM Radio show, "Schein on Sports," O'Brien rushed to Clowney's defense, citing the No. 1 overall pick's work ethic and love of football. Clowney's injuries were real, as evidenced by the fact he had to go on injured reserve and have microfracture surgery on his knee.

His availability at the start of the 2015 season is in question, but I think Clowney, who is a special athlete, will work his way back. It's way too premature to write him off.

6) Pittsburgh is steaming toward the playoffs

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7) Marc Trestman is a dead man walking

But history suggests Chicago will give Trestman one more year, regardless of the outcome this week. I think the organization would like to see this through -- though if the Bears keep losing, anything is possible.

8) The Saints need to prioritize taking a quarterback high in the draft

Drew Brees hasn't played well at all this year. And I haven't received any nasty tweets from Saints fans like I did last winter, when I went through my groupings of quarterbacks and didn't call Brees elite. But rather than putting a new signal-caller atop its wish list, New Orleans must prioritize fixing its defense, in addition to finding a new defensive coordinator. The Saints also need to address the offensive line and figure out what to do with resurgent running back Mark Ingram -- whose contract runs out after this season -- before talking about a young gunslinger.

9) Players don't scoreboard watch

Yes, they do. And they should.

I talked to Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco on Thursday's "Schein on Sports," and Flacco quipped that "of course" he watches the scoreboard. Actually, he specifically cited "NFL RedZone," which he uses to track the Steelers, Bengals and Browns.

Welcome to the beauty of the AFC North. And thanks to the red-hot Flacco -- who, as I hinted above, will lead the Ravens to the playoffs -- for being honest.